September 16, 2009
Aloha students, friends and supporters of the Academy for Creative Media at
the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
ACM’S FIRST HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE & ANIMATION FILMS AT HIFF .
ACM will premiere its first Hawaiian language and its first animation films
October 23 at 8:30 pm at the 2009 Hawai‘i International Film Festival. The
festival runs October 14-25 at the Dole Cannery Theatres. “Live Tonight” by
‘Aina Paikai and “Lulu” by Brittany Itsuno, will be joined by five other ACM
short films, including one co-produced in China with students from Shanghai
University’s School of Film and Television. UHM is the only university with
a program of U.S. and China student film co-productions, through ACM’s SMART
(Student Media Art) Exchange.
“Jinxian Junction” is the second in a series of SMART Exchange productions,
co-directed by Kevyn Fong of ACM, and Pan Huijia of Shanghai University. “Li
Hing Mui, Lilikoi & Lychee,” by Lauren Cheape, was shot on Oahu with a mixed
ACM-Shanghai University crew, and is also part of the festival program.
Other films are “Watch Your Tongue” by Nasser Marghalani, “Dog & Cat” by
Robert Omura, and “Flowers, Chocolates and Candlelit Dinners” by Priscilla
Stafford, a winner of ACM’s Grace Abernethy Women’s Filmmaker Initiative
Award.
The ACM films will be preceded October 23 at 5:45 pm by the SMART Exchange
program of short films from Shanghai University.
DEADLINES, DEADLINES FOR MAJORS
Friday is the deadline for ACM majors under the IS program to turn in your
form to switch to the new ACM BA major. The form is downloadable from
<www.hawaii.edu/acm>.
For all other students whose applications to become a major have been
accepted, but haven’t completed their ACM academic planning/advising form,
you have until October 30, 2009, or your Arts and Sciences Declaration of
Major will not be accepted. Let’s repeat that: Complete your ACM academic
plan with your advisor by October 30, or be dropped. You’ll find the
planning/advising form on our website.
Advisees for Prof. Mita and Prof. Ng can see Prof. Brislin.
WIN $1,500 TO PRODUCE YOUR FILM
ACM’s Screenwriting competitions are underway. You’ll see the flyers posted
around Crawford Hall. There are three awards for Fall entries that will
allow you to produce a winning screenplay in the Spring. Each award – the
Grace Abernethy Screenwriting Award, the Women’s Filmmaking Initiative, and
the Indigenous Filmmaking Initiative – is $1,500. You can submit for more
than one award, too. For information, contact Prof. Joel Moffett at
956-3353, or <moffett@hawaii.edu>.
FREE SCREENING, MEET THE DIRECTOR SEPT. 25
ACM welcomes Fijian filmmaker Toa Fraser to the Architecture Auditorium
Friday, Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. for a free screening of his charming and moving
film “No. 2.” The film revolves around the banquet preparations of a
rascally family matriarch who is going to name the successor to her
rambunctious family, factionalized by past wrongdoings real and imagined.
Fraser also co-wrote the screenplay for the stunning “River Queen.” The
program is co-sponsored with the Center for Pacific Island Studies and is a
must for all interested in Pacific and Indigenous films.
WELCOME NEW INSTRUCTORS
We’re saddened that Prof. Merata Mita is unable to rejoin us this semester,
and we’re grateful that Prof. Wimal Dissanayake is able to step in to take
over ACM 360 – Indigenous Aesthetics, and ACM alum Jay Hubert will take the
helm of ACM 355 – Oral Tradition to Screenplay.
And a belated welcome to Connie Florez, who is doing nicely with one of our
sections of ACM 255 – Cinema and Digital Media – while Prof. Ng is on leave
as a Scholar in Residence at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
PROF. WANG A 2009 EMMY FELLOW
Prof. George Wang has been accepted as a fellow in this year’s Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Emmy Seminar in November. He is one
of only 20 faculty accepted nationwide for this prestigious honor. Prof.
Wang also served as a Faculty Mentor for the summer Cannes International
Film Festival, and was a Faculty Fellow for the National Association of
Television Program Executives earlier this year.
ANIMATORS CLUB
A group of ACM Animation students have formed an official RIO (Registered
Independent Organization) - the Animators Club. They’ll introduce new ACM
animation & game design track students to the program, watch movies
together, have some fun drawing excursions, share tips and tricks, and bond
like SuperGlue. All students in ACM 215/216 and above are welcome to join.
Those not yet in the program can submit a portfolio of 10 drawings. For more
information, contact Nak Yong Choi at <nakyong@hawaii.edu> or
<knocknak@gmail.com>.
NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL AT CENTER FOR HAWAIIN STUDIES
The 10th annual Native American Flute and Storytelling Concert will be held
at the Center for Hawaiian Studies October 5, starting at 6:30 pm. It’s a
free concert. Indigenous Filmmaking students – mark your calendars for this
special event.
FESTIVALS, CONTESTS, ETC
REMINDER: ALL ACM films submitted for festivals and contests must first be
cleared by Production Manager Gregg Ambrosius. No exceptions. See him BEFORE
you send anything off.
* 2009 Reel Asian Film Festival, Nov. 11-15, Toronto. “So You Think You Can
Pitch” competition for film financing. <www.reelasian.com>. Deadline Sept.
25.
* Tiburon Int’l Film Festival, March 18-26, 2010.
<www.tiburonfilmfestival.com > Deadline Nov. 17.
* Savannah International Animation Festival, Feb. 5-6, 2010.
<www.savannahinternatonalanimationfestival.com>. Deadline Dec. 1.
* Method Fest independent film festival (showcasing acting), March 25-April
1 in Calabasas, CA. <www.methodfest.com>. Deadline Dec. 1.
* Newport Beach Film Festival, April 22-29. <www.newportbeachfilmfest.com>.
Deadline Dec. 18.
POST YOUR CASTING CALL NOTICES ON ACM WEBSITE
Your film casting call can be posted on the ACM website. Send your flyer as
a jpg file to ACM Production Manager Gregg Ambrosius <ambrosiu@hawaii.edu> a
week before the call date, and it will go up for all to see.
Remember, no flyers should be posted on the glass on the front and back
entrance doors to Crawford Hall. They’ll be taken down, pronto.
MAKE A GIFT TO ACM
ACM welcomes donations to support our programs, which support our students.
You can make a gift online at www.uhf.hawaii.edu/acm.
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